Conveyer



April 17, 1945.

A. w. LEMMON CONVEYER Filed Aug. 15, 1942 l 2 Sheets-Sheet l I /NVEN7OYE-' Auzxus W. LEMMoN,

April 17, 1945.

' v A. w. LEMMON CONVEYER Filed Aug. 15, 1942 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 8 u ww z F. 7 m

Patented Apr. 17, 1945 v STATE s PATENT- OFFICE .AlexisW. Lemmon, Upper Arlington, Ohiolas signor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, I

a corporation of Ohio Application August 15, 1942, Serial No. 454,914 1' 90m ns. (o1. 19s- -65) a continuous substantially totally enclosed Y passageway through which. materialis scraped and I This invention relates to a convey'er and particula'rly to mechanism to insure. the complete cleaning out. of material 'iromtheupwardly extending working leg of a, scraper type conveyer.

" An object of the invention, thereforeds to provide: simple and 'improvedimeans to insure a thorough removal of all material fromv an upwardly extending working leg of a scraper conveyer'when it is desiredto clean out said working Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features. and combinations be ing set forth in the appended claims. In the'accompanyingdrawings,

Fig. 'l is aside elevational'viewof aconveyer "ofFig. .5 looking in the'direction of the arrows Fig, 7 is a sectional .view of. a head. section of another'modified form of .conveyer; and- Fig. 8 is a sectionalview taken on the line 8-p-8 of Fig; 7 looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

"This invention relatesv to a conveyerwhich in many general respects follows that'disclosed in my, application, Serial No. 329,136, filed April 11, 1940, entitled Conveyer, and it is to beunderstood that unless, a; contraryfactis indicated, the structure :thereindisclosed, particularly that. illustrated in Figsrl and 20f thedrawings, follows the disclosure ofsaid application. p Y

,Referring particularlyto Fig. 1 of the drawings,pthere is disclosed a. conveyerincludinga housing orcasing l whichuis formed of a plurality of interconnected sections which cooperate to provide an enclosing working leg H and areturn leg 12 through which endless conveyer mechanism l3extends. The housing or casing/Illincludes a footor tail section 14, a, feedsection l5, one or-more intermediate horizontal sections it, a curved section l1, one or more upright sections 18 and headsection IS. ;The several sections. [4 to l9, inclusive, are removably. attached together and cooperateto provide the complete, housing or casing ID with the aforementioned working leg H effectively starting with the feed section l and terminating in the head section l9, said working leg forming from the inlet to the outlet thereof conveyed by. the? conveyer. mechanism I 3 as here;- inafter 'described more completely; :The return leg providesa somewhat similar'housing for the return run of the conveyer mechanism l3 for each of thesuccessive sections;

The tail section '14 includes an adjustable sprocket 20 "about which an endless --conveyer chain 'or draft means H of the conveyermechanisni I 3 extends and by'which the tension thereof is adjusted. The feed section l5 includes a I feed hopper 22 by which material is fedeither into the return leg I'2ior into'theworking leg II. If the material is fedintoithe return leg l2 it will be conveyed rearwardly by the endless con.-

veyer mechanism l3 until it .falls into the path of the 'workingrun of said conveyer mechanisn I3 and is conveyed into the working leg II in a manner. which is well understood in this art. It is, of course, to beunderstood-that the housing or casing' l0 may have a wide variety of configurations different from scribed;

In addition t -the endless chain M the conveyer mechanism l3 includes a plurality of pivoted flights 231' which, when traveling through the working leg, conveythe material by scraping action, the material being confined to said flights by the' totallyenclosing housing formingsaid working leg l'l as illustrated best in Fig.'2'of the drawings. 1. z 1

" The, head section l9 includes :both'working and return legs H. and IZ-andthe Working leg is in direct communication with a discharge chamber 24,.the communication being through an opening 25 and an inclined chute plate 26, forming a portion' of the bottom of said discharge chamber 24,

' said discharge chamber 524 having a greater width than the workingleg tor the remainder of the head section I9, as bestillustrated in Fig. 4 or the drawings. I v

Forming as -an effectual .continuation of the chute plate 2,6 is a rearwardly and upwardly sloping plate 21 which also in effect forms a continuationof a-partition 28 which divides the head section 19 into working and return legs II and [2, respectively.- It may be stated that a similar par.- tition divides each of the sections I! and I8 into similar working and return legs.; There is preferably a double partition dividing the casings of sections l5 and and the lower part of sections H, in a manner well understood in this art.-

It may further be pointed out that the head section It includesa removable topcover plate that illustrated and =de- 29 and has a supporting bar or plate 36 for guiding and supporting the return run of the chain 2|. Said chain 2| is supported on and driven by a head or drive sprocket 3I within the head section I 3 which is mounted upon the drive shaft 32 driven from an electric motor 33 by chain and sprocket mechanism 34. A removable access door 35 is also provided for the return leg'of said head section I9.

With reference particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it is obvious that as the pivoted flights 23 move into the discharge chamber 24 they will pivot to discharge position by virtue of the fact that their integrally formed guide legs 36 act under the influence of the chute plate 21 to permit their swinging to a discharge position with their forward edges downward; Morecomplete cleaning of material from said flights 23 is provided by viitue of pivoted wiper mechanism 31 which wipes the, face of each flight 23 as it passes through the discharge chamber 24. Wiper mechanism 31 is provided with limiting stop means 38 to restrict counter-clockwise swinging movement thereof. Since the discharge chamber mechanism 24 is wider than the casing III the material will flow laterally over the side edges as well as over the front edges of the flights into the discharge chamber, and may even flow rearwardly onto the plate 21. In any event, however, the material will flow over the chute plate 26 and through'the discharge opening 39 atone side of the discharge chamber 24, there preferably being a discharge chute 40 connected with said discharge chamber 24 and positioned to receive the material which discharges through the opening In practice it has been found that when it is desired to clean out the working leg I I, or in other words, to remove the final portion of the material which is being conveyed from the feed hopper 22 to the chute 40, difilculty is encountered in removing the last small portion of the material and consequently there is a tendency for some small amount of material to be left in the conveyer. This is undesirable under various conditions so I provide mechanism to insure a very eflicient removal of all the material. This mechanism includes a clean out device 4| comprising a clean out plate 42 which is preferably in. the form of a flexible plate and may be made, for example, of flexible belting material formed of rubber reinforced with fabric, though it is to be understood that said plate 42 may be made of other material "such as flexible metal or heavy paper or cardboard with or without reinforcing impregnation. Said plate 42 is rigidly attached to a flat surface of a cross rod 43 which is pivotally attached at opposite ends to bearing boxes 44 rigidly attached to an integral flange formed on the side plates of the discharge chamber 24 of head-section I9. The cross rod 43 is provided with an operating lever 45 having thereon a handle 46, said lever 45 being adjustable into the two positions as illustrated particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Latch means 4'! and 48 are provided to latch the lever 45 in its two positions of adjustment.

When the lever 45 is in the full line position as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings the clean out palte 42 will rest on top of the chute plate 26 as illustrated best in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. This is the position of the parts when it is desired to remove the last portion of the material being conveyed.

It is to be noted that the plate 42 i provided with a notch 49 which permits the conveyer chain 2| to pass freely therethrough without bending or deflecting said plate 42. It is obvious, however, as each flight 23 moves through the opening in chute plate 26 its forward or outer edge will come in contact with the bottom of said plate 42 and swing it by bending it to permit said flight 23 to move upwardly into the discharge chamber 24 and after a predetermined movement the upper edge of the plate 42 will move past the forward edge of the flight 23 and said plate 42 will swing downwardly'into contact with said chute plate 26 which is the position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be noted that this position is reached before the flight 23 has started to tip or pivot and it is also to be noted that when the partsare in this position said clean out plate 42 is between one flight 23 which is in the working leg II and the next adjacent upper flight which is within the discharge chamber 24 and this general condition will exist until the flight, which is illustrated directly below the plate 42, comes in contact with it to repeat the above described action.

However, during the time that said plate 42 is between the two flights as above described and as ilustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, material will be discharged from the flight 23 within the chamber 24 and as said flight 23 which is within said chamber 24 discharges its material, said material cannot fall through the opening 25 and back into the working leg. H because of said clean out plate 42. As a consequence, the clean out plate 42 will be effective to insure a substantially total removal of all the granular material during a clean out operation.

In normal practice it would be undesirable to have clean out plate 42in the operating position as illustrated in Figs. 2,3 and 4 of the drawings, and it is not necessary'for efiicient discharge as material from any discharging flight flows over the material supported by' the following flight through the discharge opening; Furthermore, to leave it in this position would merely result in additional friction and wear to nouseful end, consequently I have provided means to swing plate 42 to an inoperative position except when it is doing useful work or, in other words, serving a useful purpose.

This removal of the plate 42 to inoperative position is accomplished by'swinging the lever 45 from the full line position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings to the dotted line positionillustrated in said Fig. 3 where it is retained by the latch mechanism 48. In this position the plate 42 rests upon the bottom of the discharge chamber 24 and the discharge chute 46, as clearly illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I have illus-- trated a modified type of conveyer mechanism and associated apparatus which has required some modificationof the clean out devices, which I shall now describe.

The housing ID has not been essentially changed but the head section I I9 thereof has been modified in certain respects as is evident in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Said head section I I9 includes a discharge chamber I24 which has a discharge opening leading to discharge chute I40. A working leg III communicates with said discharge chamber I24 by way of a communicating opening and a clean out device MI is provided which is similar in all essential respects to the clean out device M. It may be noted, however, that said clean out device I'4I has a larger notch to ac- 'commodate' "difierentconveyer mechanism" H3 which includes an endless conveyer chain I 2I and trailingtype pivoted flights I23 which are moved to discharge position by successive cams 224 and @225.-

1 It may be stated that except fo'r the presence of the clean out device I4I the structure of the conveyer, the head section of which is shown in detail-in Figs. and 6 of the drawings, preferably follows the structure of the conveyer. disclosed inthe applic'ation of Stanley M. Mercier, Ser. No. 448,395, filed June 24, 1942, entitled conveyer.

- In Figs. land 8 of the drawings I have illustrated another modified type of conveyer and associated "apparatus which I shall now describe.

The housing III preserves its original structure but the head section 2I9 thereof has. been modified in certain respects as is evident by reference to Fig. "I of the drawings. Said head section 2l9 includes the discharge chamber224 which has a discharge opening leading to discharge chute 240. A working leg 2H communicates with said discharge chamber 224'by. way" ofa communicating opening and a clean out device 24l is provided which is similar in allessential respects to the clean out devices 4| and MI above described. The conveyer mechanismZ I 3Jdiffers from conveyer mechanisms I3 and I I3 above described particularly in that the flights 223 are rigidly attached to alternate links of thechain 2 2I and are of the solid, as distinguished from the skeleton, structure and are preferably peaked caped. It is, of course,

obvious that said flights 223 may also be of skeleton form,'if desired.

It maybe further pointed out thatthe head section 2I9 also includes a return leg 2I2 which is separated from the working leg2l I by a common partition 228. It is also evident that most of d the material will flow from-the .flights 223 onto a discharge chute 221 and through the chamber 224 to chute 240. Some of it may be carried over the head sprocket 23I and discharged onto said chute 221. The endless conveyer mechanism2I3 of this form of conveyer obviously performs in the same way as the endless conveyer mechanisms I3 and H3 above described.

In the operation of the ,device in accordance with any modification, during normal operation the clean out device 4I, I4I or 24I will be swung to an inoperative position whereinthe clean out plate 42 or its equivalentdevice I42 or242 will be swung downwardly into the chute 40, I40 or 240. Under these conditions the conveyer will operate as though the clean out device were not even present so that material fed into or delivered to the working leg I I, I l I, or 2| I will be conveyed upwardly to the discharge chamber 24 or I24 where it will be discharged-by way of chute 4B or I40. When it is desired to remove the material from the conveyor no further material will be fed into the hopper 22 and the clean out device 4I, I4I or 24I will be swung to its operative position as'illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 or Figs. 5

and 6 or Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. Under these conditions the clean out plate of said clean out device will cover the opening between the working leg and the discharge chamber except when it is moved therefrom by a flight traveling from said working leg into said discharge chamher. When said clean out plate is in its working position, particularly between two successive flights, one of which is discharging material within the discharge chamber, the other being in whole or in part within the workingleg, said clean out device will operate so that after a few runs following the emptying of hopper 22 substantially'all of the material will be removed from 'the' conveyer byway of chute .40, I40 or 24!).

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes" in the details and-arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the claims hereto appended; and I therefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclose'di" I 2 Havingthus described and shown an embodiment offmy invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. In a conveyer, the combination with an I enclosing casing having an upwardly extending working leg with a discharge opening, of I con- :veyeumean's" having spaced flights adapted to convey material through said working leg to said discharge opening, and a clean out plate adjacent saiddischarge opening constructed and arranged: to take 'a position between successive flights and substantially'to close said working leg adjacent said discharge opening, the upper of said flights between which said clean out plate is positioned being pivoted to a material discha'rgingposition,whereby material falling from the discharging flight will be guided to said discharge opening.

2. In a conveyer, the combination with an enclosing casing having an upwardly extending working leg with a discharge opening, of conveyer means having spaced flights adapted to convey material through said working leg to said discharge opening, and a clean out plate adjacent said discharge opening constructed and arranged to take a position between successive flights and substantially to close said working leg adjacent said discharge opening, the upper of said flights between which said clean out plate is positioned being in a material discharging position, whereby material falling from the discharging flight will be guided to said discharge opening.

3; Conveyer apparatus including a housing constructed to provide an upwardly extending working leg opening'into a discharge compartment having a material discharge opening, conveyer mechanism for conveying material through said leg and'into said discharge compartment for discharging through said'discharge opening,

' and a clean out plate adapted to extend over the said clean out plate to operative or inoperative positions.

5. A. discharge section for a conveyer including a housing having a material discharge chamber,

a working leg through which a conveyer is adapt-1 ed to travel leading to and communicating with said chamber by way of an opening, saiddischarge chamber having a material discharge opening, and a flexible clean out plate extending over at least part of said opening between said Working leg and said discharge chamber;

6. A head section for a scraper conveyer including an upwardly extending working leg leading to a dischargechamber and being in communication therewith by an opening, and a clean out plate formed of flexible material extending substantially over said opening.

'7. A head section for a conv-eyer including a material discharge chamber having a material discharge opening at one side thereof, a rearwardly sloping plate atthe back of said discharge chamber, a working leg leading to said chamber and communicating therewith by way of an opening in the bottom thereof, and a clean out plate extending over said opening and sloping along the same general slope as said rearwardly sloping plate and adaptedgto direct material to a discharge opening in one side of said discharge chamber.

8. A conveyer including a casing providing an upwardly extending working leg terminating in a material discharge chamber through an opening, a discharge chute on said chamber, conveyer mechanism extending through said working leg and discharge chamber, means comprising a clean out plate adapted to be selectively positioned over said opening while providing for pas- :sage of the conveyer mechanism therethrough and while catching material discharged there-- from and delivering it to said :chute or within said chute out of the path of travel of said conveyer mechanism, andmeans for selectively positioning said clean out plate in said two positions. i I

9. A conveyor including a casing providing an upwardly extending working leg terminating in a material discharge chamber through an opening, =3, discharge .chute on saidchamber, conveyer mechanism extending through said ,working leg and discharge chamber, means comprising a clean out plate formed of flexible material adapted to be selectively positioned Over said opening While providing forpassage ofthe con- ALEXIS W. LEMMON. 

